No matter how brilliant an action, it should not be considered great unless it was the result of a great motive.

The greater part of mankind judge of men only by their fashionableness or their fortune.

We are all strong enough to bear other men's misfortunes.

Gratitude is like the good faith of traders: it maintains commerce, and we often pay, not because it is just to discharge our debts, but that we may more readily find people to trust us.

There are two sorts of constancy in love one arises from continually discovering in the loved person new subjects for love, the other arises from our making a merit of being constant.

The greatest part of intimate confidences proceed from a desire either to be pitied or admired.

Intrepidity is an extraordinary strength of soul, which raises it above the troubles, disorders and emotions which the sight of great perils can arouse in it; by this strength heroes maintain a calm aspect and preserve their reason and liberty in the most surprising and terrible accidents.